Refrigerating device



Jan. 19, 1937.

J. A. CONRADY I REFRIGERATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 19

. INVENTOR. JOHN A. Comma).

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 19,. 1937 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims. (Cl. 62-120) My invention relates to improvements in the structure shown and described, for example in the patent to R. T. Smith dated June 23, 1931, No. 1,311,523, and generally .to portable ball type 5 absorption refrigeration devices.

e object. of the invention is to provide for a p itive cooling of the upper portion of the ball and preferably also the liquid seal and dehydration liquid in the passage from the generator to the evaporator, during the generation cycle of the device.

In the patent above noted some of the liquid in the system is wpermitted to accumulate in a dome arranged on top of the generator ball, for

a similar purpose, but I find that under certain v cated, and will specifically describe these arrangements, it being understood that the novelty inherent therein will be set forth in the appended claims to which reference is hereby made. In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a cross section taken through a refrigeration unit of the portable absorption type.

Fig.2 is a like section of the parts essential to my invention, showinga modified form in which the thermo-syphon shell "is placed inside of the dome on the generator ball.

' Fig. 3 is a like section showing the construction where the dome is omitted from the top of the ball, its service being accomplished by the thermo-syphon shell.

The portable absorption refrigeration device which I have used for illustration of my inven:

,. tion consists of a generator-absorber ball I, a

condenser -evaporator ball .2, and a main connecting tube 3 between them, having a handle 4 for manipulation. In the device as shown the influx to the generator absorber from the connecting tube during the evaporation-absorption portion of the cycle, is through a tube 5, which establishes also thelevel of the liquid seal for controlling the cyclical. operation of the device.

The exfiux of gases from the generator-absorber, during the generation stepis through a tube 6 which in the particular device illustrated extends to a small closed shell 1 within the con- '55 necting tube, thence back again through a'tube 8 to a point in .the connecting tube just above the top of the generator-absorber, and beneath the level of liquid established by the tube 5.

According to the invention of the Smith patent to which I have referred, the top of the gen- 5 erator-absorber ball or shell is provided with a domelike shell 9, termed a dome, which communicates with the interior of the end of the connecting tube 3. This dome naturally contains liquid from the system, and hence acts to keep 10 the top of the generator absorber cool and the liquid seal cool. As a result dehydration occurs of the gases evolved while heating the generator absorber.

The evaporator end of the tube 3 in the struc- 15 ture illustrated contains a second dehydration element in the form of a tube lll'extending upwardly from a .closure -Il across the tube 3. There will be an accumulation of liquid around this tube, which also serves a dehydration pur- 20 pose. The condenser-evaporator shell is connected to the connecting tube 3 as shown with the tube extending down further to form a sump H for collection of liquid which might otherwise be condensed in the condenser evaporator, and

interfere with the action of the device.

The full device has been described which is shown in the Smith patent, although my invention has wider application.

In' the first illustrated form it consists in a 30 closed sleeve or shell I2, which surrounds the connecting tube 3 near enough to the condenserevaporator, so' that the cooling medium applied to it during the generation portion of the cycle will cool a liquid housed within said shell. From 35 this shell tubes I 3 and i4 extend, preferably in close proximity and supported by the connecting tube, and preferably on the outside thereof. The

tube l3 extends from the top of the shelland the tube H from the bottonf thereof. 40 Mounted around the dome on the generatorabsorber is a shell l5, forming a liquid retaining space over the top of the dome and preferably extending far enough to surround the ,end of the connecting tubeand hence act on the liq- 45 md seal maintained therein. The tubes i 3 and I4 extend into this shell, the tube l3 to the top thereof and the tube I4 to the bottom thereof. As so arranged when the device is arranged for the generation step, with a flame applied to the generator and the condenser immersed in water orother cooling medium, the shells and tubes being filled with water or other liquid, will operate as fol1ows:-'the warmer water from the shell IE will flow through the tube l3 tothe shell I2, 66

' and cool water cooled by the cooling medium for the condenser, will flow back through the tube ll to the shell l5. In this way the gases generated from the generator will be cooled and hence dehydrated more effectively at the several noted points.

If it is desired to use the dome it may be s arranged as to lie outside of the shell of the thermo-syphon cooling device. This is shown in Fig. 2'wherein the dome is shown at 20, and the shell corresponding to the shell l5, isshown at 2|. In this instance also I have shown instead of the shell l2, a coil 22 of tubing which takes the place thereof. Instead of'using the dome, the shell l5 can be used to do all of the cooling and hence dehydration. This is illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the shell 22 corresponding to the shell I5 is used alone, without the dome.

It will not be necessary to repeat the operation of the thermo-syphon system in connection with these modifications.

It should be noted that the tubes l3 and I! could be placed inside of the connecting tube, if not made of copper, and that actual subjection oi the liquid in the shell I2 to cooling medium is not necessary for the functioning of the device in anadvantageous way over the Smith disclo-' sure, since the shell I2 is out of the way of any direct communication of heat from the generatorabsorber ball during the generation step. The shell could be in the form of a coil both at the generator end of the connecting tube and at the evaporator end. I I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

1. In an absorption system refrigeration device, the combination of a generator-absorber, a condenser-evaporator, and conduit means between them, a,-dehydration device comprising a member surrounding the conduit means adjacent the condenser-evaporator, a liquid containing member at the top of the generator-absorber, and

tion unit, comprising a liquid containing memberabout the outlet of the generator absorber, and a tbermo-syphon system for/maintaining a liquid cool in the said member during the, application of heat to the generator-absorber.

3. In a. portable absorption refrigeration unit, the combination ofa generator-absorber shell,

and a condenser evaporator shell, a conduit extending between them, means for maintaining a body of liquid in that portion of the conduit 1ying at the top of the generator absorber, means for causing gases evolved from the generator absorber to bubble through said body of liquid, and

. means for cooling the said body of liquid comprising a liquid container surrounding in part at least the conduit wherein said liquid is located, a liquid container located about said conduit at a point near the condenser evaporator, and ducts extending between said containers whereby a thermo-syphon action is setup between them during thestep of heating the generator absorber shell.

4. In a portable absorption refrigeration unit, the combination of a generator-absorber shell, and a condenser evaporator shell, a conduit extending between them, means for maintaining a body of liquid in that portion of the conduit lying at the top of the generator absorber, means for causing gases evolved f'rom.the generator absorber to bubble through said body of liquid, and means for cooling the said body of liquid comprising a shell surrounding in part at least the conduit wherein said liquid is located, a liquid container located about said conduit at a point near the condenser evaporator, and ducts extending between said shell and container whereby'a thermo-syphon action is set up between them during the step of heating the generator absorber shell,

and an additional shell locatedabout the top of the generator absorber and communicating with the body of liquid within the conduit, but not with the shell forming part of the thermo-syphon system, said additional shell also cooled by the latter. v

5. In a portable absorption refrigeration unit,

the combination of a generator-absorber shell,

and a condenser evaporator shell, a conduit extending between them, means for maintaining a body of liquid in that portion of the conduit lying at the top of the generator absorber, means for causing gases evolved from the generator absorber. to bubble through said body of liquid, and means for cooling the said body of liquid comprising a shell surrounding in part at least the conduit wherein said liquid is located, a liquid container located about said conduit at a point near the condenser evaporator, and ducts extending said shell forming part of'the thermo-syphon system.

JOHN A. CONRADY. 

